Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Casey Stoner to miss next three MotoGP races due to ill health

Casey Stoner, who's been afflicted with a mystery virus, will miss the next three MotoGP races, effectively ending his chances of winning the 2009 MotoGP world championship

Due to continuing ill health, Casey Stoner will not race in the next three MotoGP races. The 2007 MotoGP world champ will return to action only in October, for the Grand Prix of Portugal. Despite suffering from severe fatigue and, by his own admission, not being able to perform at his best, Stoner is still currently third in the 2009 MotoGP world championship standings, behind Rossi and Lorenzo. Now, however, since he will miss three races, his fight for the title is effectively over.

‘I feel very sorry for the factory, my team, my sponsors and the fans. I am also disappointed because the bike in the last races has been very competitive. I will be doing everything possible to come back at full strength for Portugal,’ says Stoner.

‘It's obviously difficult for us to contemplate the next three races without Casey, but it's clear that the most important thing at this time is his health. Since his debut with us in Qatar in 2007, Casey has won 18 times as well as taking countless podium finishes, becoming one of the top riders in the world championship in the process,’ says Livio Suppo, MotoGP Project Director at Ducati. ‘We are confident that the doctors will help solve the issues that have affected him since early June and that Casey will be able to take part in the last races of the year in peak fitness. Then we can prepare for 2010 in the best way possible.’